FAQ

Do you fly?

No, we do not fly, nor do we think that we fly. We do, however, have lots of fun anyway!

How do bludgers work?

Beaters do not have bats. Instead, they throw the bludgers, which are dodgeballs. When hit with a bludger, the player must immediately drop the Quaffle if s/he has it and run back to his/her hoops and touch them before returning to play.

How does the snitch work?

The snitch is a tennis ball in a yellow tube sock. The snitch runner is a person dressed all in yellow, who tucks the snitch into the waistband of his/her pants flag-football-style. The snitch runner runs around like crazy and is generally irritating and hard to catch. (Snitch runners have been known to go off-campus, climb trees, etc.) When the seeker does succeed in obtaining the snitch, the game ends and the winning seeker's team is awarded 30 points (as opposed to the book).

Where do you play?

We play on an elliptical field, typically outlined with cones or spray chalk. The hoops are set up at each end, but somewhat inset as players can run behind them and score from either side.

What if I've never read the Harry Potter books?

Great! You won't have any preconceived notions about how the game "should" be played, then. Clearly, a two-dimensional sport is going to have a very different strategy than a three-dimensional one, and Quidditch as a collegiate, muggle, recreational sport is rather different from the wizarding game of Potter fame. It is inspired by Rowling's Quidditch and owes its existence to her books, but it is a sport in its own right. (That being said, do read the books. You will enjoy them, we promise.)

Can I still play if I've never played any sports before/can't touch my toes/am used to making avatars to do my running for me?

Yep! You can play Quidditch at Smith at any level. Like any sport, the more you work at it, the better you become, and you will have opportunities in practice to work hard and improve rapidly. If you're just looking to casually play, then that's fine too. Come to any practice and scrimmage with us- anyone is welcome.

I still don't get it/[really obscure question], help!

The best way to get a good sense of what Quidditch is is to watch some videos. Head to the International Quidditch Association page if you're looking for rules clarification. Lastly, feel free to contact squidditch@gmail.com with any specific questions not addressed here.